The ultimate test of conscience may be a willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.

—Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), former governor of Wisconsin, founder of Earth Day

We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.
—Barbara Ward (1914-1981), Only One Earth, 1972

Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.
― Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverse.
― Herman E. Daly (author of Steady State Economics, 1977)

When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river poisoned, then you will see that you can't eat money.
― Cree Indian Proverb, quoted by John May, The Greenpeace Story, 1991

When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Poor Richard's Almanac

What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?
― Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), Familiar Letters, 1894

The air, the water and the ground are free gifts to man and no one has the power to portion them out in parcels. Man must drink and breathe and walk and therefore each man has a right to his share of each.
—James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), The Prairie, 1827

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), in EF Schumacher, Small is Beautiful, 1973

We will look upon the earth as being with us, not for us.
—Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father,1973

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

It is an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged.

...

The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth — soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife. To utilize them for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicately balanced and continuing program, based on the most extensive research. Their administration is not properly, and cannot be, a matter of politics.

...

We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.

Science serves all of us.
It protects our air and water, preserves our planet, saves lives with medical treatments, creates new industries, puts food on our tables, educates the next generation, and safeguards our future.
The vital role science plays in our democracy must be preserved.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, over 20 million Americans launched the modern environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

To remind each of us that the Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance. To recognize a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and learn ways you can engage to make a better planet for fish, wildlife, their habitats and people. While climate change is perhaps the greatest ecological challenge of our time, Earth Day reminds us that we all can take steps to help protect the environment, which touches the human spirit, contributes to human health and well-being and promotes a healthy economy. Find eco tips, podcasts and numerous ways to get involved. In addition, you will find a host of fun and meaningful activities taking place around the country at wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, ecological field stations, as well as partner events in local towns, parks and surrounding areas.

Rachel Carson, one of the world’s foremost leaders in conservation. Her work as an educator, scientist and writer revolutionized America’s interest in environmental issues. Whether it was her passion for the oceans and coasts, her inspiration as one of the first female scientists and government leaders, or her overall footprint on the history of conservation, her legacy is one to be honored and celebrated.

A marine biologist and nature writer, Rachel Carson catalyzed the global environmental movement with her 1962 book Silent Spring. Outlining the dangers of chemical pesticides, the book sparked the movement that ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Think Globally, Act Locally

Saturday, 22 April 2017 9:00 am
Nature walk at 8:00 am (RSVP)
261 Floyd Ackert Road, in West Park, NY
The last Hurrah of winter has finally melted away and the Earth is waking up at the Nature Sanctuary in time for our annual Spring Trail Day. Celebrate Earth Day with us spiffing up the trails and more projects.

John Burroughs (1837-1921) was a great American nature writer, one of the most popular authors of his day and is credited with creating the modern nature essay. Born in the Catskill Mountains in 1837, he settled on a nine-acre fruit farm on the west bank of the Hudson River north of Poughkeepsie that he named "Riverby." In 1895, he purchased a nearby tract of land and built a two-story cabin, calling it “Slabsides.” The John Burroughs Association (JBA) owns and maintains Slabsides and the surrounding 200-acre John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary. The JBA recognizes excellence in nature writing through its Literary Awards program.

Saturday, April 22, 2017, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Meet at Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park (Beacon)
Show your love for Mother Earth by helping to clean the shoreline and remove invasive plants at one of our most popular parks.

Saturday April 22, 2017
Located at the Hyde Park Drive-In
One-time FREE event for community members to turn in a wide variety of items for recycling and redistribution, as well as learn about maintaining a healthy planet.
Hosted by: Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site Dutchess County and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Friday, April 28, 2017 9:00am - 4:00pm
NYSDEC Region 3 Offices
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, NY
Celebrate Earth Day by potting up and labeling hundreds of young trees! Potted seedlings will be used by the Trees for Tribs program for planting on streamside properties to protect water quality, fish, and wildlife. SCA was founded by Liz Putnam who launched the idea in 1953, at age 20, while attending Vassar College.